Ever wonder where the names of New York City’s neighborhoods came from? You could do the research yourself or you could head over the Mental Floss where they’ve done much of it for you. It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to know that many neighborhoods are named after the wealthy farmers and aristocrats that once owned the land. But there are some interesting nuggets of information that I didn’t know before so it’s worth the few minutes to read through them all. My favorite new fact: Washington Square Park once was a cemetery and an estimated 20,000 people are buried underneath it. Creepy.

via Kottke